Traveling Soldier
by elusivetwilight
Summary: 'I cried...never gonna hold the hand of another guy. Too young for him, they told her, Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier. Our love will never end.' E&B  part of FGB comp for Breaking Dawn


_THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PART OF THE FGB BREAKING DAWN PART 1 COMP. _

_Special thanks to twilightmomoftwo for beta-ing so quickly and at the last minute._

_This is based on the song by the Dixie Chicks with the same title._

* * *

><p>Adrenaline rushed through him, leaving him feeling lightheaded. He checked his bus ticket once more, confirming his trip directly to California. He'd never seen the ocean before, and wondered if it would be as big as he imagined. He checked his watch, that he had bought himself for his eighteenth birthday not two days ago. He had been taking care of himself for a while now, had been on his own since the age of fourteen and had worked his way to the cusp of manhood. He swallowed a lump in his throat, fear momentarily slicing through him. Being alone for most of his life, his own company never bothered him. But going into the unknown, and the fear of not coming out the other side shook him. Nervously straightening his army greens again, he picked a non-existent piece of fluff from his lapel.<p>

It was strange being back in this town again. He had been born here, in a house not ten miles from the spot he was standing on. He vaguely remembered the town, having left so many years ago after his momma passed.

Life on the road had been tough, and work opportunities were harder to find, which is why he had enlisted. Lying about his age had him sweating bullets but they had accepted him in. He had given his mother's empty house as his address and had come back to his small town for appearances.

The time was early yet, he had several hours to kill before the bus arrived, so he picked up his green duffel bag, and headed to the cafe that was across the street. A growl emitted from his stomach which was twisted with the anxiety over what the future might hold for him.

The door clanged as he opened it, a tiny bell attached to the push handle, tinkling against the glass. The smells of brewed coffee and frying hamburgers wafted to his nose. His eyes caught on a small glass case which held two thirds of a pie. A hand-written sign cheerfully advertised cherry pie. Spying an empty booth, he shoved his bag in, and slid in next to it.

A pretty girl, not much younger than him, came to take his order. She had lovely long brown hair that flowed in soft waves behind her delicate shoulders and down her back. She wore a red bow in it, tied slightly off center on the side of her head. Her large brown eyes looked at him kindly, and he felt a flush wash up his throat towards his face. Looking away, he glanced at the menu and ordered a malt shake and a cheeseburger. She gave him a little smile as she took his menu, and he watched her go as she placed his order with the cook.

When his lunch was served to him, he picked at it, not really hungry. He had learned early never to waste food, as he was never sure when his next meal would be but today he couldn't bring himself to eat the food in front of him. Glancing up, he met a pair of brown eyes, and the warm flush crept through him again. When she passed closer to his table, he decided to reach out to her.

"Hi. I know this sounds a little weird...and I know you're probably really busy...but I don't know anyone here...and your face is so familiar. Would you mind sitting down and talking to me for a little while? I'm feelin' a little low."

She pursed her lips, and looked at the clock on the wall behind her. "I'm off in an hour, I know a place where we can go."

He sipped at his shake, and willed that clock to move. Forcing his cheeseburger down, he picked up his shake and finished it, the straw making a throttled sound as he cleared the dregs. The clock was just going on eleven, as she returned to his table, untying her little apron. She had on a pink and white uniform underneath, and he smiled and nodded as she asked him if he was ready.

They walked for a bit, and he re-shouldered his duffel bag to take the awkwardness out of his step. Although he barely knew her, the silence between them was somehow comfortable. She led him just out of town, and he toed little pebbles as they walked in silence, nervous again.

"So, what's your name?" she finally asked, her voice soft.

"Edward." He cleared his throat.

He looked over at her, just as she smiled at him. "Mine's Bella. Pleased to meet you, Edward."

Edward smiled back at her, relaxing slightly; for some reason, it felt like he should have known her all his life.

And the natural inclination to take her hand as they walked along surged through him. Before he could act on it, she was placing her fingers in his.

They arrived at a large lake, and walked along a secluded pier. Bella chattered on about waitressing to pull in extra money while her father was away at war, and that her mother knitted and sewed to make money on the side as well.

She paused and sat down, her legs dangling over the side of the wooden pier. "So, I've been talking a lot, and you're really quiet, Edward."

Licking his lips, he tried to think of something to say. "Yeah."

She giggled. "A man of few words. Mother says I should find one like you, since I have enough for two."

Edward laughed, a genuine smile breaking out over his face, and he sighed. "There's not much to tell about me. I grew up here but left town after my mother died of a fever when I was fourteen. I never knew my father and I've been on my own since I left."

"That's terrible! So you've been alone all this time?"

He shrugged. "S'not so bad. I've been all over the mid-west; working on farms, picking up work at harvest time and any other odd job I could handle."

"But what about school?"

"I can read; always carry a book around with me. I love the classics."

She scooted closer to him, unfolding her legs so they touched his. "What's your favorite?"

"I don't have a favorite," he muttered.

She looked at him, and shoved his arm lightly. "Oh come on, everyone has a favorite."

That flush threatened to creep up his throat again and he shook his head.

"Tell me?" she asked, angling her head to try and catch his averted gaze. Bella lifted her hand, stroking along the side of his strong angular jaw. "Tell me, please?"

Edward closed his eyes, "You have to promise not to laugh."

Her eyes were serious, and unconsciously, she stroked the side of his jaw, "I promise."

He took a deep breath, and looked deeply into her eyes and quoted one of the sonnets he had memorized.

_Love is not love,_  
><em>Which alters when it alteration finds, <em>  
><em>Or bends with the remover to remove: <em>  
><em>O no! it is an ever-fixed mark, <em>  
><em>That looks on tempests and is never shaken; <em>  
><em>It is the star to every wandering bark, <em>  
><em>Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.<em>

Their eyes met, and both of them felt moved, as if the world around them didn't exist. There was something pulling them together; she felt it, just as he did. He moved his head slowly, staring at her slightly parted lips, the raspberry pink of her Cupid's bow begging for him. Her lashes fluttered and she angled her head up. His ears thundered in anticipation, and he placed his lips on hers.

He kissed her, softly at first, then with more pressure. It wasn't an open mouthed kiss, it was a kiss to start with, a test. Her lips were soft, and she sucked lightly on his lower lip. His hand came up to cup her jaw lightly, and her fingers caressed carefully along his neck until they were in his hair. She tasted sweet, like fresh summertime fruit.

Cupping her jaw in his rough hands, he deepened the kiss. There was something intoxicating about her, more lethal to his system than the moonshine he had tried on his seventeenth birthday. It was more than the warmth that raced through his veins at her kiss. It was like everything in him was alive, pulsing, and wanting more from her.

It was almost too intense, and he broke the kiss momentarily. Their foreheads touched, and they panted in unison.

Time raced against them, and for a moment he considered not fulfilling the promises he'd made to the colors he wore. But he knew he couldn't...that sometimes all he had was his word.

Edward pulled back slightly from Bella, and looked deeply into her eyes, getting lost in their depth.

"I have to go."

She nodded her understanding, and something low in his gut pulled and tugged like gravity, wanting to be closer to her again. He leaned down to kiss her once again, smacking his lips against hers and then slowly tasting her lower lip. When he shifted back from her again, he lifted her chin with his finger and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care. I got no one to send a letter to. Would you mind if sent one back here to you?"

Bella nodded again, seeming incapable of speech. He reached for his bag and rifled through it. His fingers brushed against the pencil he was looking for. Grabbing for it, he plucked a piece of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to her.

"Can I have your address?"

"Sure." She worried her lower lip as she wrote her address down. When she handed it back to him, he smiled, recognizing the cheerful handwriting that had sat on top of the pie case.

"Well, Miss Swan, I better be on my way."

The stood up in unison, and she continued to stare at him as if he had made the sun come up this morning. Unable to resist it, he kissed her again, and her hands made fists in the material of his jacket.

Eventually they made their way back into town, her hand in his, their fingers linked, their shoulders brushing.

The bus was sitting at the station, the dull grumble of the engine filling the air. There were tears in her eyes as he turned to say good bye.

"I promise, I'll write you, Bella. Don't cry, honey."

She nodded. "I know we only just met...but I feel like I know you...like I've known you...and I don't want to lose you."

He shook his head, those nerves returning again whispering in his ear about what the future might hold for him. But he tried not to let it show in front of Bella.

"You ain't gonna lose me. I'll write you every week. I'll write you so often you'll get bored with my letters and tell me to stop sending 'em."

"Just...be careful, okay?"

"I will be. Didn't get this far to fall at this hurdle in life. You better save me some of that pie in there. And save some of this for me too."

His fingers caressed her chin again, and his lips touched hers far too briefly to satisfy either of them. When their eyes met again, he noticed a blush on her cheeks.

"You're so pretty when you do that." His thumb moved over her cheekbone as he spoke. She bit her lip and flushed deeper.

They both jumped as the bus driver honked the horn and he exhaled, knowing this was it.

"I'll see you later, Bella Swan."

Tears filled her pretty brown eyes as she nodded. "See you around, Edward Cullen."

And he stepped away from her and took his seat on the bus. It was filled with other men the same age as him, all dressed the same and all wearing the same nervous expression.

As the bus started to pull away, his eyes looked for her, and he spotted the red bow in her hair as she sadly waved goodbye. He would never forget that moment, so long as he lived.

+TS+

_From: Pvt Edward A Cullen_  
><em>US Army<em>  
><em>Ft. Irwin, California<em>

_Dear Bella_

_I'm adjusting to life here. Training is good, some of the fellas haven't seen a hard day's work ever but I seem to be coping well. _

_I don't know how to say this, seeing as I've not had much in the way of family. But I want you to know that I think I might be in love with you. Maybe it's too much too soon, but I've never felt this strong about anything before. _

_I hope you're ok, and that your momma is in good health. _

_~E_

_From: Pvt Edward Cullen_  
><em>US Army<em>  
><em>Ft. Irwin California<em>

_Dear Bella_

_Thanks for your last letter, I think I've read it about a hundred times now. Some of the guys don't get any mail here and everytime my name is read out, I swear my heart nearly stops. _

_It looks like I might get deployed soon. We're soldiers, we're supposed to be brave but I'm scared. I'm no coward, I just don't know what we'll be facing. We hear all kinds of stories but we don't know what to believe...some of the older officers like to try and make it scarier than it actually is. _

_I know I'll be fine, as long as I can keep you in my thoughts. Sometimes, I swear I can still taste you on my lips._

_~E_

_From Pvt Edward Cullen_  
><em>US Army<em>  
><em>Vietnam<em>

_Dear Bella_

_I miss you. I miss home even if I don't really have one. _

_But when it's getting kinda rough over here, I think of that day sitting down at the pier. I close my eyes and see your pretty smile. Your hair catches the sunlight, and it smells like sunshine and home. _

_Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile._

_I love you. _

_~E_

+TS+

"Bella, you're so young, baby. Why don't you go to fall dance and mingle with the boys there?"

"Cause I don't wanna, Mom." She could feels tears of frustration prick at her eyes. "I ain't interested in anybody else. I love Edward. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because you can't just lose yourself over some boy you've only just met."

"I feel like I've known him all my life!" Her tone was defiant and adrenaline raced through her as she stood up to her mother.

Renee Swan put her knitting down and focused all of her attention on her only child. "You're gonna be waitin' a long time on him, mark my words. I love your father, but I don't want this life for you. Waiting for the love of a travelling soldier isn't a happy life. Don't you want to be happy?"

Bella's anger with her mother reached fever pitch, as this was not the first time they'd had this discussion.

"Mom, I am sick to death of having this talk with you. I. love. him. I don't wanna hold hands with no one else. I will wait for as long as it takes and we are gonna get married and have babies and be happy."

Renee's eyes widened at Bella's words. "You will get rid of those inclinations while you are under this roof, young lady."

Bella's eyes narrowed, and her voice screeched across the room. "I will be eighteen next month so you won't have to worry about me being under this roof for much longer."

Before her mother could say another word, Bella stomped from the room and out of the house. The setting sun painted the sky a beautiful pink which was slowly fading to an twilight shade of lavender.

An evening star winked in the sky, and she briefly wondered if Edward could see it whereever he was.

+TS+

Friday evening, and the smell of popcorn, hotdogs, and mown grass filled the air. The stadium lights flooded the area with bright lights and the high school football team stood silently, hands on hearts as the anthem was sang by one of the ladies from the local church.

The stars and stripes of the American Flag waved gently in the breeze as the marching band played the proud notes. Bella tugged at her band uniform and adjusted the matching bow in her hair. The weather was almost too mild for autumn and her uniform felt almost tight. As her small part came up, Bella lifted her piccolo and played the notes that were required of her.

As the anthem finished, the marching band quit the field and Bella took her place at the back as a voice echoed over the stadium's intercom system.

"Folks, would you bow your heads for a list of local Vietnam dead."

The names were read, and silence stretched over the crowd, every head bowed. The breeze stopped, and the flag paused in its wave. Even the grass seemed still, and no birds called out as the names shot through the air, like a single rifle shot.

Bella's heartbeat a million miles a minute, her chest felt too delicate and fragile, as if at any moment, it would burst open through her marching uniform.

"...Edward Cullen."

Her ears rang, and she wanted to deny it. The voice was lying.

It was a mistake.

A mistake.

She was going to be sick. Piccolo in hand Bella ran from the crowd, from the horrible voice. Tears streamed from her eyes as she made her way to under the stands. She collapsed, not caring if the whites were ruined. She remembered his nervous smile, the way his fingers had touched her like she was glass and the butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach when he said she was pretty.

His name repeated again and again in her mind, and she realized she was actually whimpering it aloud.

The life she had imagined for them flashed in front of her eyes.

Every word of his letters memorized, they were engraved on her heart.

_I cried...never gonna hold the hand of another guy. _  
><em>Too young for him, they told her, <em>  
><em>Waitin' for the love of a travellin' soldier. <em>  
><em>Our love will never end. <em>  
><em>Waitin' for the soldier to come back again. <em>  
><em>Nevermore to be alone, <em>  
><em>When the letter said <em>  
><em>A soldier's comin' home. <em>


End file.
